12:03 pm ET: A congressional hearing Thursday on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans is "discriminatory" and "an abuse of power" because of its narrow scope, Rep. Laura Richardson, D-California, said in harsh criticism of committee Chairman Peter King, R-New New York.

Richardson questioned why other House committees weren't holding hearings on threats to American children involving other religions, a veiled but obvious reference to the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church.

11:49 am ET: A congressional hearing on alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans and a lack of cooperation by the Muslim community is "an outrage" because there is no factual basis for its need, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, said Thursday.11:00 am ET: The father of an American youth who converted from Baptist to Islam at age 19 and later shot two U.S. army troops outside an Arkansas recruiting station asked a congressional committee for help Thursday in dealing with Muslim radicalization in the country.

Melvin Bledsoe, whose son Carlos changed his name to Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, blamed Islamic extremists who he said radicalized Carlos at a Tennessee mosque.

"We are losing American babies. Our children are in danger. We must stand up and do something about the problem," Bledsoe said, adding: "I'd like to see something change that no other family in this great country of ours has to go through what our family is facing today."

10:48 am ET: The radicalization of Muslim Americans is a "significant" problem that only the Muslim community can resolve, instead of claiming victimization when concerns are raised, the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy told a congressional hearing Thursday.

"We can close our eyes and pretend it doesn't exist," said Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, who is Muslim. "You're not going to solve the problem and the problem is increasing exponentially."

Jasser called radicalization "a moral corruption within a certain segment" that is using the Islamic religion to spread its message. Countering such efforts would require teaching Muslim Americans about American principles of liberty and "separation of mosque and state," he said.

10:36 am ET: The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a prominent Muslim advocacy group, is "counter-productive and it is hurting the Muslim American community," Republican Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia told a congressional hearing Thursday.

He accused the group of "a campaign to intimidate and silence anyone who raises concerns about Muslim radicalization."

Wolf said the controversial hearing on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans was important and necessary, adding: "We cannot afford to be silent. We cannot disregard the issue of radicalization in our country."

10:09 am ET: Muslim House member Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota, on Thursday sharply criticized a House hearing on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans, saying that blaming the entire Muslim community for the evil and violence of individuals is "the very heart of stereotyping and scapegoating."

10:03 am ET: A congressional hearing on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans runs the risk of taking too narrow a view of the scope of terrorism threats against the United States, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, said Thursday.

9:56 am ET: Recruiting young American Muslims is part of al Qaeda's strategy to continue attacking the United States, Rep. Peter King, R-New York, said Thursday.

9:52 am ET: The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a prominent Muslim American advocacy group, should be rejected, Rep. Peter King, R-New York, said Thursday.

9:47 am ET: Holding hearings on the alleged radicalization of Muslim Americans is neither "radical or unAmerican," Rep. Peter King, R-New York, said Thursday in opening a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on the issue.

soundoff(36 Responses)

Lolo

This guy Peter King is doing nothing but stirring up hate and keeping the country divided. Americans wake up, the republican party and tea partiers are the terrorists. They are showing their true colors and the really true Americans need to stop their rhetoric now.

March 10, 2011 11:44 am at 11:44 am |

Claudia, Houston, Tx

This country has more people in prison that have committed crimes and but King has never thought about that. King is doing no more than making a political power play.

March 10, 2011 11:46 am at 11:46 am |

Rick McDaniel

The religion has to demonstrate that it will not be a danger to our society, in order to allow it to continue to exist, in the US.

Everywhere it has gone in the WORLD.......it has fostered violence, and intimidation, and murder, and mayhem. The entire concept that Islam is anything BUT a dangerous radical religion, is a myth, and we know that by observation of world events.

March 10, 2011 11:48 am at 11:48 am |

GI Joe

This prejudiced republican lynch mob will just give them more reasons to hate us.

Good job Hitler Jr. Republicans to Muslims = Hitler to Jews.

Will YOU be in the next group that is attacked by the republicans???

March 10, 2011 11:51 am at 11:51 am |

Sgt. Joe

So, does that same logic hold true for "radicalized Christians" who feel it's okay to murder a doctor for performing his job? Any kind of extremism should be targeted, but not in this way.

March 10, 2011 12:09 pm at 12:09 pm |

WiredwierdinSF

Just kinda sitting here wondering why CNN and the other mindless liberally biased media aren't going nuts about the corrupt labor unions making death threats against Wisconsin Republicans and shoving around Fox New reporters? This was all on camera and recorded, unlike when the liberal media when nuts over some unverified threats and name calling by the TEA Party. Is it the control the corrupt unions have over the media, the democrat liberal party and of course our incompetent, inept, corrupt lying president?

March 10, 2011 12:10 pm at 12:10 pm |

George Guadiane - Austerlitz, NY

Welcome to the 21st Century "McCarthy Era" style embarrassment.
Republicans (AGAIN demonizing and fear mongering a whole group without any real evidence or reason.
May they spend the next 30/40 years "in the desert" again after this debacle.

March 10, 2011 12:11 pm at 12:11 pm |

Bob in PA

This is something that should have happened in January 2002. We do not need representatives like Laura Richardson who argues this is discrimination. She would hold hearings on KKK or Skinhead activities in a heartbeat. Radical Muslims are no different than both these groups and actually worse. They do not target against just one race, but all races and religions including their own when other Muslims are considered not spiritual enough to their liking. Someone slap her and wake her up, she has been sleeping for the last 20 years.

And by no means do I condone the KKK or Skinheads, both are intolerable !

March 10, 2011 12:19 pm at 12:19 pm |

U.S. Common Sense

I see no issue here, since they aren't making policy through these hearing. It is something that should have been done years ago, just so the country is informed on what possible threats it may face.

March 10, 2011 12:25 pm at 12:25 pm |

jim

Republicans want the final solution.

March 10, 2011 12:27 pm at 12:27 pm |

Chris

I'm just waiting for King to propose that so as to making it more easier to identify them, all Muslims need to wear a yellow crescent and star – or that they should all be round up and put into camps "for their own protection."